Beverage-bottle case



Juiy '6, 943- 'L. o. SCHNEEBERGER BEVERAGE-BOTTLE CASE Filed Oct. 31, 1941 FIG.5.'

I Q i I 1 I 1 if INVENTOR.

LEROY O. SCHNEEB BY 2 ERGER Patented July 6, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BEVERAGE-BOTTLE CASE Leroy 0. Schneeberger, St. Louis, Mo.

Application October 31, 1941, Serial No. 417,368

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a certain new and useful improvement in beverage-bottle cases and the like.

Cases of the type mentioned today comprise a four-wall tray or shell divided by crossed partition-walls to include a predetermined number of so-called bottle-accommodating spaces or compartments.

Such cases and their partition-walls are generally subjected to hard usage with resulting frequent breakage, and to eliminate breakage both of the bottles and walls, it is economically essential that the partition-walls be re-enforced or strengthened and the compartments be of such conforming annular contour as to more or less firmly grip or embrace the bottle seated or disposed therein.

My present invention has hence for its chief Object the production of a beverage-bottle .case or the like having bottle-compartment forming partition-walls, in which said walls are so constructed as to co-operably provide compartments each having an annular contour conforming to bottle-curvature and diametrical dimension for more or less tightly gripping or embracing the seated bottles, and in which also said walls, while so providing annular seats, as it may be said, for the respective bottles, are inherently strengthened and re-enforced against breakage.

And with the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a perspective View of a beveragebottle case constructed in accordance with and embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmental plan view of the case;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View of the case, taken approximately on the line 3-3, Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmental plan view of one of the re-enforcingly recessed and deformed partition-walls of the case; and

Figure 5 is a diagrammatically illustrative of a partition-wall fragment during a recessing and deforming operation Referring now more in detail and by reference characters to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, A designates a beverage-bottle case, which includes a tray or shell comprising a bottom wall I, up-

standing from which and all permanently secured together are opposite side and end walls 2, 2, and 3, 3, respectively;

At regularly spaced intervals throughout their length, the side walls 2 are formed with registering opposed pairs of transversely or vertically extending ways or grooves, as at a, for accommodating the opposite ends of transverse partition-walls 4 constructed of wood, fibre, or other compressible .material, which latter are adhesively or otherwise permanently fixed to the tray A.

In turn, the transverse partition-walls 4 are formed for a portion of their width or height with registering series of uniformly spaced transversely disposed cutouts or slots, as at b, opening to their upper margin for accommodating partition-wall-forming slats or strips 5 extending longitudinally of the case A and also constructed of wood, fibre, or other compressible material. Preferably, as shown, the slots b have a width somewhat less than the normal thickness of the longitudinal partition-walls or strips 5, and the latter are accordingly formed at corresponding intervals throughout their respective lengths and upon their opposite faces with grooves or ways, as at c, c, for dovetail union with the transverse partition-walls 4 in dividing the tray area into the desired plurality of bottle-accommodating compartments d, the longitudinal walls 5 at their opposite ends fitting in ways or grooves e provided for the purpose transversely in the end walls 3, and the walls 5 being adhesively or otherwise permanently secured to the tray A and to the walls 4.

The bottle-compartments d, as so formed, would each normally have a rectangular conformation of a size or dimension somewhat greater than the diametrical dimension, and for more or less freely accommodating the insertion or seating, of the body of a bottle B.

However, to snugly hug or embrace a deposited or seated bottle B and thereby obviate shifting and possible breakage thereof while so seated, and at the same time eliminate any zones of weakness in the partition-walls 4, 5, the walls 4 centrally intermediate the respective slots b and the walls 5 centrally intermediate the respective ways 0 are, prior to assembly within the tray or shell A, subjected to the compressing action of a series of opposed and suitably operated rams, presses, or the like 0 of suitable rounded or arcuate formation, as at 6, as indicated in Figure 5, having a diametrical index conformable with the diametrical dimension of the particular bottle B, and the walls 4, 5, thereby transversely formed upon their opposite faces with correspondingly regularly spaced arcuate recesses or ways, as at f, f, and g, g, respectively, disposed in oppositely facing pairs, as best seen in Figures 1 and 2. Thus the opposed recesses of a companion pair of Walls 4 co-operate with the opposed recesses g of a companion pair of walls 5, as more particularly illustrated in Figure 2, in annularly varying or changing the contour of such compartment d to correspond with the curvature and diametrical dimension of the particular bottle B, with the result that the walls 4, 5, of such compartment co-operate in more or less tightly seating and retaining the bottle B against shifting and removal.

At the same time, the fibres of the walls 4, 5, are compacted in and by such compressing operation, and the Walls 4, 5, thereby materially strengthened and re-enforced against breakage and the useful life of the case A thereby economically prolonged.

I might add that, to some extent also, the formation and constructing of a case A in accordance with my invention effects an economy in the s length dimensions of the tray walls 2, 3, and correspondingly in the length and breadth dimensions of the tray bottom wall I.

The case A fulfills in every respect the object stated, and it is to be understoodthat changes and variations in the size, form, and structure of the case and its compartment-forming partition walls may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A bottle case comprising a bottom wall, upstanding end and side walls cooperating with said bottom Wall and forming a substantially rectangular tray, and longitudinally and laterally extending partitions having connection at their ends with said end and side walls and having intermediately crossing connection with each other for dividing the tray of the case into a plurality of cell-like bottle accommodating compartments with the opposed sides of the partitions spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of the bottle to be accommodated, said partitions being of compressible material and having the medial portions thereof intermediate the crossing connections compacted and compressed thereby providing concave recesses and increasing the space within each cell to a diameter slightly greater than required to accommodate a bottle without cutting or removal of material from the partitions whereby the full strength of the material of the partitions intermediate the crossing connections is retained.

2. A bottle case comprising a bottom wall, upstanding end and side Walls cooperating with the bottom wall in provision of a tray adapted to receive and hold a plurality of bottles, longitudinally and laterally extending wooden partition strips having connection at their ends with said side walls and having crossing connection with one another for dividing the space of the tray into a plurality of cell-like bottle accommodating compartments, said wooden partition strips being compressible and having the middle poitions thereof intermediate the crossing connections compressed concavely in oppositely facing pairs thus providing clearance within the individual cells to accommodate the diameter of the particular bottles while maintaining the bottles substantially centered within the cells, and at the same time retaining the full bodily strength of the material of the partitions substantially throughout the entire length of each partition strip.

LEROY O. SCHNEEBERGER. 

